An electric appliance connection device in which an electric appliance is set has been widely used. The electric appliance is, for example, a microphone device, a portable telephone or an electronic pocket notebook. The electric appliance connection device is, for example, a charging device for giving a charge of electricity to the electric appliance. According to this technique, the electric appliance has a connection-target terminal connected to a secondary battery. The charging device has a connection terminal connected to the connection-target terminal of the electric appliance. By setting the electric appliance on the charging device, the connection-target terminal of the electric appliance is connected to the connection terminal of the charging device to charge the secondary battery in the electric appliance.
If in this charging device the connection terminal is exposed when the electric appliance is not set, there is possibility of dust being attached to the connection terminal to cause connection failure between the connection terminal and the connection-target terminal.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-147360, a charging device is proposed in which a dustproof shutter (slide cover 21) covering a connection terminal (a charging terminal 12) is provided to protect the connection terminal from attachment of dust. In this related art, the dustproof shutter covers the charging terminal when a battery pack is not set on the charging device. When the battery pack is set on the charging device, the charging terminal is exposed by being linked to the battery pack setting operation.
Also, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-147360, an arrangement for connecting a connection-target terminal (charging terminal 12 of the battery pack) to a connection terminal (a charging terminal 45 of a charger) with reliability when a battery pack is set on a charging device is provided to avoid connection failure between the connection-target terminal and the connection terminal. This device includes a fitting claw (claw 50) provided on a casing of the battery pack and a fitting recess (recess 5a) provided in a casing of the charging device. When the battery pack is set on the charging device, the fitting claw of the battery pack and the fitting hole of the charging device are fitted to each other. An operator is informed that the battery pack is set on the charging device through a feeling of clicking or a clicking sound which the operator perceives when the fitting claw and the fitting recess are fitted to each other.
The electric appliance connection device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-147360 requires no manual operation for moving the dustproof shutter and is advantageous in terms of operational convenience. However, it is necessary to provide a fitting structure using, for example, a fitting claw and a fitting recess on the casing of the electric appliance or the charging device in order to ensure reliable connection between the connection-target terminal and the connection terminal.